EDWARDSVILLE - The Metro East Mayhem Youth Rugby Program is returning for 2023 and will meet for both contact and non-contact sessions for the fall and spring. Non-contact sessions will be held for boys and girls ages 6-10, and contact sessions will be held for ages 10-13.
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The program will meet on Sundays from March 26 to May 7 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. All sessions will be held on the grass fields of Plummer Family Park, located at 3501 Sports Park Drive in Edwardsville.
Head Coach Nick Pierce-Cramer said kids do not need to be Edwardsville residents to participate - the program will accept kids from all over the Metro East.
“Part of our goal is to really expand rugby in the Metro East, so we currently have kids from Belleville, Carlinville, and just around the area,” he said.
The cost to sign up for contact rugby is $75 per player, or $40 per player for non-contact rugby. Those interested can register online at this link, under “Youth Sports,” then “Youth Rugby.” Registration will close on March 19th.
Pierce-Cramer said the youth rugby program pairs well with other sports by teaching kids athletic skills they can use outside of rugby as well.
“It’s a different way to build on a lot of skills that other sports use, so we do have ball throwing and catching with hand-eye coordination, running and working as a team similar to basketball and soccer,” he said. “We kind of get into defensive body placements and stuff like that - especially at the contact level, where we do start working on the fundamentals of tackling and how to tackle safely and effectively, which could carry over into football.
“The thing that draws me to rugby is … everybody touches the ball, everybody gets to play, there’s a spot for everybody. You really have to work, all 15 players, as a team.”
Pierce-Cramer added that he’d like to give thanks and appreciation to the Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department for their help with administrative work and finding locations for the program.
To find out more about the Metro East Mayhem Youth Rugby program, email mayhemyouthrugby@gmail.com or visit the City of Edwardsville website.
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